Portable conveyer.



AVAELABLE CC? PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

F. R. WILLSON, JR. PORTABLE UONVEYER.

' APPLIOATIO'N FILED APR.24,1900.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1?. R. WILLSON, JR. PORTABLE OONVEYBR.

APILIOATION FILED APR.24,1900.

PATENTED APR. 18, 1905;

4 SHEBTS-SHEET 4.

ailorncg the bottom for transporting the elevator from vator or conveyer proper.

No. 787,601. Biff-3? UNITED STATES QVAILABLE atented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREEMAN 1t. WILLSON, JR, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

PORTABLE CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent N0. 787,601, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed April 24,1900- Serial N- 14,113-

1'0 all, 'w/mm iv may concern:

Be it known that I, FREEMAN R. WILLSON, Jr., acitizen of the United States, residing at Oolum bus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Oonveyers; of whiehthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to portable conveyersthat is to say, conveyers or elevators which are mounted upon cars or trucks, so that they can be readily taken from place to place and used in the loading of cars and other vehicles and for similar purposes.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conveying or elevating apparatus embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through some of the parts. Fig. 3 is a plan View of parts of the elevator. Fig. tis a rear elevation with portions of the conveyer removed.

In the drawings the three principal parts of the mechanism are indicated each as an entirety by A B O, A indicating the, truck at place to place, B indicating the standard-frame and engine-carrier, and O indicating the ele- The truck part or car A is shown as comprising a framework or bed having the side bars 1 1, the end' bars 2 2, and the track-wheels 3 3. This truck is preferably constructed in skeleton form and rectangular, as shown.

The standard-frame or adjustable carriage is shown as being provided with an engine having the cylinder 4, piston 5, guides 6, crossheads 7, pitman 8, and crank-shaft 9, being the crank or disk by which the pitman is connected to the shaft. The shaft is mounted in bearings at 11, carried by one or both of the uprights or frame-pieees 13, forming part of the carriage, and has a fly-wheel 12 to assist the engine. The base-plate or bed part of the carriage is shown at 14. The standards or uprights 13 13 are preferably approximately triangular plates of metal secured to the bed 14 and carried up to a suitable point.

The crankshaft 9 has a pinion 15 which 1 meshes with a gear-wheel 16 on the shaft 17 5 nected to a shaft 20, that is also mounted transversely in the frame. The axis of this shaft is also the axis at which the elevator or conveyer is supported and around which the latter can swing. The elevator-frame is formed of side bars 22, these being prefer- 6O bolted to the I-beams 22. These sleeves or 5 tubular bars 21 project outward and are fitted in the bearings 13 at the upper ends of the standard-frames 13. The longitudinal side bars 22 22 are connected by suitable crossbars, so as to form a rigid frame, which, as 7 will be described, provides the immediate support for the endless chains and the buckets secured thereto and the mechanism for driving the same. The shaft 20 is fitted to and has bearings in the aforesaid sleeves or tubular 7 5 journals 21,and inasmuch as these journals support the weight of the frame 22 22 and of the conveyer and driving mechanism the shaft 20 is relieved of all pressure and strain no matter what may be the position to which the carrier or elevator is adjusted.

The elevator is constructed as follows: At the lower end of the main frame 22 22 shaft 23 is mounted and at the upper end a shaft 24:.

The shaft 23 is held in adjustable bearings 23, 8 5

formed on the ends of sliding guides 23, which are slotted and provided with clampingbolts, as shown at 23. The sliding guides are fitted in the guideways in the outer sides of the beams 22. 23- is an adjusting-screw 9 bearing against the sliding guide 23, and by means of this the elevator can be made as taut as is desired and the wheel-bearings can be clamped in any suitable position. The upper shaft 24. is similarly carried by adjustable bearings combined with screws for pushing them upward and clamping devices for fastening them in place after ad ustment. Upon the shaft 23 there is a pair of sprocket-wheels 31, and upon the upper shaft 24 another pair, as at 32. Upon these sprocket-wheels a pair of parallel endless chains 25 are supported. To these chains are attached buckets 26 and trough-like conveying devices, pans, or movable guide-chutes 27 the latter alternating with the former. The buckets 26 are of the self-loading typethat is to say, of the sort having a larger open end, a smaller closed end, closed sides, and closed back and front walls. At 26 they have suitable devices for entering the material to be carried and loosening up and engaging with a sufficient quantity thereof to form a load for the bucket. Each bucket is also formed with wings 33, secured to the side walls of the bucket and carrying an extension 34 ofthe back wall thereof. The pans or guide-chutes 27 are each formed with a bottom or back wall 27 and side walls 28, the ends being open.

The buckets and the guides are, as above stated, arranged alternately along the chains. When a bucket reaches the top of the elevator or conveyer and moves around the headwheel and discharges its contents during such movement, the pan or guide-chute 27, which is in advance of the bucket, insures that the material escaping therefrom shall be carried well forward and guided to the proper point of discharge, and to insure that none of the material shall drop, spill, or escape directly downward from the edge of the bucket-mouth the intermediate chute extension 34 is employed, this insuring that all the load shall pass from the bucket to the pan 27.

Power is transmitted from the above-described shaft 20 to the head-wheels 32 and through the latter to the chains and the conveyer as a whole by the chain 35, which engages with the sprocket-pinion 36 on the shaft 20 and the sprocket-wheel 37 on the shaft 24. When the engine is in action, power reaches this shaft 24 and the elevator through the gearing and shafting at 16 l7 18 19 2O 36 35 37, and as the sprocket-pinion 36 is at the axis of vibration or adjustment of the elevator the power will be always uniformly applied, the distance between the shafts and 24 remaining constant.

The present mechanism isintended to shovel or scoop up bucket-load after bucket-load of material, whether earth or coal, slack, or what not, and carry it to and deposit it in a car or other vehicle, and as the points of loading will vary vertically, and likewise the desired points of discharge it becomes necessary to adjust the position of the elevator as a whole around the axis at 20 and to hold it in either of several positions. The latter is accomplished by means of the clamping device at 29, this, as shown for illustration, being a bracket-like projection 29, secured to the elevator-frame and projecting laterally therefrom and formed or pros'zesi AvAaAsLE co vided with a threaded rod 29*. The latte passes through the slot 28 in an upright 28 said slot being concentric with the axis at 2C The screw-rod 29 will move in the slot as th elevator swings up and down. The bracke has a shoulder or clamping-face at 29" of suffi cient area.

is a nut engaging with the rod 29 an having a hand-wheel 30 for forcing itagains the outer face of the standard 28, the inne end of the nut and the shoulder 29 thus con stituting a powerful clamp by which the ele vator-frame can be held in any desired posi tion.

The hinge-axis at 20 is at or suitably neai the center longitudinally of the elevator frame, and therefore the two end parts of th latter will largely act to counterbalance eacl other. The upper end is preferably slightly heavier in order to bring the center of gravl ity properly over the base of support and hole the whole device steadily. It will be seen than the shaft 20 is nearer one end of the car or truck A than the other that is, the car lying underthe upper end of the elevator to a greatei extent than under the lower end. The elevator can also be adjusted relatively to transverse vertical planes, as well as relatively tc the horizontal planes. This is accomplished by connecting the upright frame or carriage B to the car or truck A by suitable hinging or swiveling devices which permit the standard or carriage to turn around a vertical axis. As shown, the carriage is held in position on the top of the truck by means of a vertioali centering-pivot 38. There is a circular racki or wheel 39 on the truck with which engages al, pinion 40 on the vertical shaft 41, mounted in! the carriage and carrying a worm-wheel 42 its upper-end. The worm-wheel is driven by a; worm 43 on a horizontal shaft 44. This shaft} carries a crank 45 at its outer end. By means of these devices the operator can whenever desired rotate the pinion 40, and it, because of its engagement with the rack or wheel 39, concentric with the axis of the carriage, will cause the latter to move horizontally around said axis, and thereby bring the elevator into such longitudinal planes as are desired. It will be observed that the pivot 38, about which the carriage B turns, is situated near one end thereof, and 1 preferably arrange this pivot under that end of the carriage which is beneath the higher or delivery end of the conveyer or elevator frame. This arrangement insures that the conveyer or elevator frame shall have a wide range of lateral adjustment and also insures with this wide range of adjustment a lirm and substantial support upon the carriage.

The carriage isheld from vertical movement relative to the truck by one or more clips 46, fixed on the carriage and engaging beneath-a lip or flange 47 on the truck, said lip being concentric with the pivot 38 and preferably a part of the rack 39.

The truck is or may be provided with any suitable means for clamping it temporarily to the track at any desired point, such as arms 49.

What I claim is.

1. In a portable conveyer for loading ore and coal in mines,the combination of a low railwaycarriage, a horizontally-turning frame thereon, an inclinable conveyer mounted on said frame on a horizontal transverse axis at a relatively small elevation above the carriage and having a series of digging and conveying buckets and ore-retaining chutes between the buckets, and an engine on said frame for actuating the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

2. In a portable conveyer for loading ore, and other purposes, the combination of a car, a carriage supported thereon,-and formed with upward extending frame pieces, a vertical pivot uniting the carriage and the car, about which the former is arranged to turn, means for adjusting the carriage about the said pivot, a conveyer-frame comprising side bars, and laterally-extending trunnions connected with the side bars of the conveyer-frame near its middle portion, longitudinally, the said trunnions being fitted in hearings in the said upward-extending frame-pieces of the carriage, a shaft passing through the said trunnions and free to rotate therein, an endless conveyer mounted in the conveyer-frame, and having digging and conveying buckets and ore-containing chutes between said buckets, a motor on the carriage and driving-gearing between the motor and the said shaft 20 and between the shaft 20 and the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

3. In a conveyer for loading ore, and other purposes, the combination of a car, a carriage pivotally mounted thereon and having upward extending frame pieces, a conveyerframe pivotally connected near its middle portion, with the said upward-extending framepieces of the carriage, an endless conveyer mounted in the said conveyer-frame, the slotted uprights 28 secured to the carriage and extending upward at either side of the conveyer-frame and clamping means carried by the conveyer-frame and extending through the slots of the said uprights, and arranged to clamp or unite the conveyer-frame with the said uprights, substantially as set forth.

4. In a conveyer for loading ore, and other purposes, the combination of a suitable support, an elevator-frame pivotally supported therein and arranged to be operated at an angle but little inclined to the horizon, an endless conveyer mounted in the frame and comprising a sprocket-chain, a series of self-loading buckets attached to the said chain at suitable intervalsapart, and intermediate pans or guide-chutes connected with the said sprocketchain and arranged between the buckets, and

said buckets trough-like conveying devices,

and extensions 34 overlying the spaces between the buckets and said conveying devices.

6. In a portable conveyer for loading ore and other purposes, the combination of an endless elevator,a car on which said elevator is mount- "ed on a horizontal axis, an engineon said car for driving the elevator-belt, and means for adjusting the elevator vertically around said axis, said elevator having a series of self-loading buckets or receptacles, between said buckets trough-like conveying devices and extensions 3st overlying the spaces between the buckets and said conveying devices.

7 In a portable conveyer for loading ore and other purposes, the combination of an endless elevator, and means for supporting and actuating the same, said elevator having a series of self-loading buckets or receptacles, between said buckets trough-like conveying devices with their bottoms and sides substantially in line with the bottoms and side of said buckets, respectively, and extensions having bottoms and sides lying respectively above and within said bottoms and sides of the buckets and trough-like devices and overlying the spaces between said buckets and devices.

8. In a portable conveyer for loading and other purposes, the combination of a carriage, a frame mounted thereon, an inclinable endless conveyer carried on said frame on a horizontal axis transverse to the carriage and conveyer, and means for actuating the conveyer, said frame being arranged to turn relative to the carriageon a vertical axis situated relatively near and beneath the upper end "of the conveyer, substantially asset forth.

9. In a portable conveyer for loading and other purposes, the combination of acarriage, a frame mounted thereon, an inclinable endless conveyer carried on said frame on a horizontal transverse axis, and means for actuating the conveyer, said carriage having a rearward extension toward the upper end of the conveyer and said frame being arranged to turn on a verticalaxis on said extension, substantially as set forth.

10. In a portable conveyer for loading and other-purposes, the combination of a carriage, a rigid frame mounted thereon having a rearward extension pivotally connected with the carriage on a vertical axis and a higher forward portion, an inclinable endless conveyer mounted on said higher portion of the frame on a horizontal transverse axis with its upper end near and above said vertical axis of the 1 frame, and means for actuating the conveye r, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with the carriage, and the inclinable conveyer, of the frame B on said carriage, supporting the conveyer on a horizontal transverse axis and connected with the carriage by a vertical pivot, the rack on said carriage, the shaft 41 mounted in said frame and having a wheel engaging the rack, and the horizontal shaft 44 having actuating means and operatively connected with said shaft 41, substantially as set forth.

12. In a conveyer, for loading and other purposes, the combination of an endless elevator and means supporting and actuating the same, said elevator having a series of selfloading buckets with pan-like conveyer-sections between the buckets, the front wall of each bucket having an extension at 26 adapted to pick up the material, and the rear wall of each bucket being provided with an extension 34 adapted to overlap the edge of the pan BEST AVAHABLE COP like section immediately in front of the bucket, substantially as set forth.

13. In a portable conveyer for loading and other purposes, the combination of a carriage, a rigid framework thereon having a relatively higher forward portion and a rearward extension pivotally connected to said carriage on a vertical axis, an inclinable endless conveyer mounted on said higher portion of the frame on a horizontal transverse axis and having its upper end near and above said vertical axis: of the frame, asiipport for said upper end of the conveyer carried by the frame, and a motor for actuating the conveyer, arranged on;

said carriage between said pivotal connection and said transverse axis, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in? presence of two witnesses.

FREEMAN R. WILLSON, J u. WVitnesses:

R. H. HIBBARD, F. E. CoLToN. 

